The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1887-04-26
A CONFIDENCE KID,
Who Plays It Fine on the Sedalia
St0rekeepers,
And is Slowly But Surely Getting
Ready for Stripped
Suit.
Some Little Account OF His Most
Recent Exploits With Forged
Signatures.

The BAzoo has been in possession
for several days of damaging facts in
regard to the adventures of a boy of
about twelve or thirteen years of age,
and the confidence game he has been
playing upon sundry merchants of
Sedalia, but refrained from giving
publicity to the matter in order to
encourage, if possible, by silence, q
settlement of the crooked transaction
between the parties wronging and
wronged. The proceedings are in
statu quo. and no nearer adjustment
than they were the middle of the week,
and the necessity for secrecy seems to
have gone out of existence. The
crookedness covers period of some
months, but this narrative of a preco-
ciOus and bad boys exploits
deals only with mis- doings during the
last thirty days.
Early in March an order for loan
amounting to 1915 was presented to
Mr.. j. Blocher, the seedman on Main
street, signed by Mrs. E. G. Wilson, q
lady living about two miles southeast
of Sedalia. Her husband is in the
employ of the railroad here. The
youth presented the paper, was given
the money, as Mrs. Wilson was good
customer of Mr.. Blocher, and hon.
ored all her contracts. No suspicion
of anything wrong was expected.
March 14th, the same lad who is
described as a slender, light complex
Toned boy, of perhaps thirteen, and
answering to the name of "Willle,"
handed in another note signed ''Mrs.
E. G.. Wilson" in which the necessity
of "Willie" having couple of shirts
and hat was suggested, and "Willie"
this time secured So. Again on the
18th, "Willie" came duly to hand,
his note was honored and another
couple of dollars were turned over to
him.
Mrs. Wilson dropped into Sedalia
about the first of the present month
to settle her bills, and was much sur
prised at Blocher's, when the 1915
of her account met her eye, she knew
nothing about it, hadn't authorized
the orders, and, in fact, was scarcely
able to write her name, for that mat
ter. She gave instructions that in the
future, no orders purporting to have
come from her, be cashed.
Last week "Willie" turned up
again with note for the loan of 50
from "Mrs. E. G.. Wilson," and Mr..
Blocher promptly refused to honor
the demand. The boy departed and
Mr.. Blocher retained the order for
future developments. He sent out in
the country for Mrs. Wilson, but she
has not yet responded.
1t was known that Willie went to
the Summit school, and an officer
went up there and brought down q lad
answering Willie's description. He
proved not to be the one wanted.
Several other lads were brought be-
fore Mr.. Blocher for Identification,
but they did not prove to be the right
party.
1t is now stated that Willie has had
q confederate, who writes the orders,
and divides up the swag with the mis-
guided youth. 1t is also reported
that Willie's exploits with forged Or
ders have been of interest to Messrs.
Brandt, Van Wagner and Neusberg-
sr, and possibly some others, but
that his wrong-doing has been settled
by the payments of the. sums he Sc
cured thus crookedly. 90 s7'<
f"Willie" keeps on, his end viii
not be very uncertain, if the law sue
ceeds in getting its clutches upon the
juvenile offender. 1I u-c